The present invention deals with photographic composite boards, and in particular with a novel method of production and composite laminate structure of photographic composite boards.
Current photographic composite boards are often large and heavy made with rigid materials making it difficult to handle and cumbersome to store when it is not being used. Examples of such composite boards use photgraphs which are pasted, or otherwise adhered, to a pressed fiber board. Various methods of lettering currently used are time consuming. Often the photographic composite boards are unprotected making them susceptible to soiling, discoloration and other damage.
Prior art photographic composite structures are shown, for example, in the patent to Edwards (2,084,579) in which a plurality of pictures are mounted on an album leaf formed of separate sheets which are pasted together. The upper sheet includes spaced pockets or envelopes on the innerface to receive the photographs. The patent to Power (2,936,540) shows another composite board including a back plate, graphics and a series of open areas for the insertion of photographic inserts as well as descriptive material.
Still another patent of interest is shown to Leahy (4,424,637) to a gallery picture frame for securing a plurality of photographs including a mounting panel having an adhesive coated back sheet which removably secures the snapshots to the mounting panel. A frame is provided which may include additional panels for borders around each photograph. The patent to Muzik (4,125,653) shows a graphic photographic laminate which is mounted on a thick mounting base of rigid translucent material and includes a layer of plastic material having pressure-sensitive adhesive coating on both surfaces for permanently bonding the layers. Other prior art patents showing similar structures are those to Lieberman (4,231,833). Lacztyski (4,400,419) and Helinski (4,666,757).
The present invention provides a photographic composite laminated board which is flexible and lightweight which may be rolled up and stored in a storage tube, or displayed in a frame. The laminate structure is formed with lightweight plastic materials which form a laminate structure around the photographs and other suitable decorative or illustative material. The laminate includes a base, or cover member, of transparent plastic having a highly polished back surface and a velvet non-glare front surface, graphics and/or lettering, a masking layer including clear windows forming openings for photographs and descriptive or other graphic material, and a back sheet layer of plastic.
To produce the composite photographic board, the front of the board forms the base layer with the velvet, non-glare surface to the outside. Suitable graphics made photographically are added to the base layer with a film acetate, back coated with pressure-sensitive adhesive. A masking layer is added having clear windows for pictures and descriptive material. The pictures and respective name plates or other descriptive material is added. The composite board is completed by a layer of 4 mil. thick vinyl.
Among the objects of the present invention are the provision of a photographic composite board which is lightweight, flexible and which is easy to mount and store in either a flat or rolled condition; the provision of a composite photographic board which is simple to create with readily avaliable and inexpensive materials and equipment.